50 Free Employment / Job Application Form Templates [Printable]

Are you looking for a job? Just like you a lot of people are looking for jobs and employment opportunities. In order to successfully get through the process, the job application forms are made so that the applicant can fill out the form. There are certain small business owners who think that employment application form is just a pile of paperwork. But veteran business owners know that job application is a smart way to screen potential new employees entering your business, such as your restaurant, café, or a clothing brand etc.

Additionally, a good employment form would permit people to apply for the job by becoming a systematic way to bring in new qualified and credible candidates to the company. If you are unsure about what to put in employment application template, you can check out the online samples for the employment forms on our main website.

In order to understand more about these job application templates, read through this article and understand all about them in detail.

What is an Employment Application?

The employment application is a form which is used by organizations in order to screen the potential candidates who applied for the job. Basically, the application draws out information from the applicant helping the employers to see the applicant’s skills, qualifications, experience etc. A generic employment application asks about special skills, references, prior employment, and questions related to the position. Some state and federal laws have control over what can be asked.

Moreover, some novice business owners do not know the importance of using these job applications. On the contrary, the smart and veteran employers use the employment application to be filled out by every candidate for a particular job. These job applications are used to gather consistent data about employees. Additionally, the format of the cover letters and resumes vary from person to person.

Also, the approaches for all the candidates are also different as every applicant belongs to different background. For instance, all resumes would be different and details of a particular applicant about their education would also vary. Besides, job applications have the ability to collect information in a consistent manner from each and every applicant. This happens because every applicant receives the same document asking similar questions, gathering information in a proper and similar manner as others. The information lets the employers compare the credentials and information written.

Reasons Determining the Requirement of Job Applications

The employment applications are really necessary for the employers otherwise they will not have a systematic way and record for applicants. Check out some of the reasons as to why you should be using the job applications.

Screening Method

One of the main reasons behind having job applications is due to the screening method. While many small business owners think that a resume is enough, but in real it isn’t. A resume highlights things that the applicant wants to write and share, but what about the things that they have not included in the resume?

This is why you need to use the employment application where the employers have the flexibility of asking questions from the applicant. Also, the job application forms consist of sections where the employee has to provide the details of their background, experience, and compensation history.

Once the application is completed and submitted, the hiring manager will then see whether or not the candidate meets the minimum standards and qualifications of the job position they have applied for. Due to this reason, some people think that resume should not be included in the hiring process as the job application highlights everything.

Actually, both of them are important during the hiring process, the job application form as well as the resume. Both of them together have the ability to show consistency in the background and experience of the applicant. Ensuring about consistency determines whether or not the applicant is eligible for the opening in the organization.

A Legal Requirement

If we compare the job application with the resume, this employment application can also become a legal requirement for your organization for the following reasons.

To show them that the information they are providing is truthful and accurate.

Additionally, in order to check the authenticity of the information, most of the employment applications also have a section requiring applicant to confirm that the information they are providing in the document is accurate, genuine and complete. This section further determines the candidate that they may not be selected or their application would be neglected in case of any incorrect information, omission of facts or misrepresentation provided if they are hired. Thus, they are required to provide genuine information and list down everything authentic.

Organized Information

When employers need to determine which employee to hire, they need to see several things in order to know whether not the employee is qualified for the job position. Additionally, it is pretty easy to ask for the information relating to employment history, reference checks, education etc instead of requesting it at different times during the hiring process.

Therefore, with the employment application, you request all the information at one single spot saving both, the applicant and employer at the same time to gather the information determining a candidate’s fit for the job position.

Reduces the Chances of Discrimination Claims

As you know different applicants have different forms of resumes and curriculum vitas, therefore, it may become difficult for the organizations to compare one candidate to another without discriminating any applicant. But with a properly formatted job application standardizes the information when an applicant applies for the role. Here are some key elements that every employer needs to know when creating an employment application in order to reduce the discrimination claims.

A job application prepared by the organization should equalize the employment opportunity without discriminating on the basis of features secured by state or federal laws.

You should also take approval and authorization for the organization to conduct background checks, verification of application information where necessary.

A job application should be considered on an at-will basis and not a contract.

What Should Be Included in the Job Application Form?

It is wise to see and find out the relevant information about the applicant beforehand so that you can make a relevant job application. This helps employers in selecting the best person by gaining information beforehand. This is why you need to know what should be included in the job application. Here are some things that need to be included in the employment application.

You need to include your full legal name.

You also need to include your email address.

You also need to include your phone number.

You also need to ask about the preferred name from the applicant.

You should also determine about military service, dates of service and skills required for it.

You also need to ask about the degrees you have achieved and the institutions you have taken them from.

You should also ask about the majors and specialties.

You should ensure to ask about the job history and background as well as skills required for it.

You should also ask about the driving license.

You should also determine as to when the applicant would be available at work.

You should also ask up to how many hours the applicant would be working.

What Should Not Be Included in the Job Application Form?

Now that you know what are the things that you are suppose to ask from the applicant. There are certain things that you should avoid asking. Here are certain questions and things that can create discriminations and biasness. Check them out and ensure not to ask about any of these questions.

You should not ask about the race, religion or gender of the applicant in the employment form. This type of question directly goes against the employment discrimination on the basis of race, cast, color, creed, gender, national origin, religion etc., These types of questions can reveal if an applicant is a member of protected class and could become a way to discriminate.

You should also not ask any question regarding medical conditions, confidential information such as tax status or the tax ID number etc. These are confidential things which can be asked when the applicant is hired and becomes the part of the organization.

You should also not ask questions that will not help you determine whether or not the applicant is a perfect one for the job position. This would waste the time of both, employer’s as well as applicant’s. This is why it is better to avoid such questions at the first place. You should simply ask questions that do matter, linked with the job position and are not irrelevant.

On the basis of the type of business, the job application can be one of the ways which helps in finding great talent for your organization. Also, it helps finding your company an individual which matches to the job position perfectly. Besides, even if the person you are looking for walks out and is fired for some reason, you always have other alternatives and options to look over. This can eliminate panic attacks and you have other phone numbers to contact applicants interested in the similar job position.

Online Employment Application

Gone are the days when employers used the manual employment application forms, nowadays, online job application forms are used by large percentage of employers. Along with the factual data collected by these online employment applications, employer is also able to screen and qualify the applicants with the online approach.

Additionally, the applicant tracking system permits employers to search employment applications for degrees, keywords, employment history and several other specifics in order to identify candidates who appear eligible and qualified for the specific job positions. Here are some tips for completing the online job applications.

If you decide to copy and paste the questions in the job application, make sure that you do not include names of the organizations you have applied for as that will result in rejection.

Additionally, you should also read the supporting documentation very carefully so that you are able to create questions that are linked to the job position.

Make sure that you keep a copy of employment application so that there are multiple records for you to keep in case you lose the original one.

Now that you how employment applications are important, you should definitely have one for your company if you want to hire a competent employee for your firm. We have free printable application for employment template; you can simply download them and give to the applicant for selecting a competent employee for the job position. Also, you can download the templates and affix them to your main website for the applicants willing to apply for the relevant position.